The Mercyhurst University men’s hockey team will play the first 11 games of the regular season on the road. Yet before embarking on a stretch of road games that will last nearly two months, the Lakers will enjoy one game at Mercyhurst Ice Center.
The Lakers begin the 2012-13 season today at 7:05 p.m. with an exhibition game against Wilfrid Laurier, from Waterloo, Ontario. The Lakers, which posted a 20-16-4 record and reached the Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament semifinals a season ago, begins the regular season Oct. 13 at AHA rival Niagara. The home opener is Dec. 7 against conference foe American International.

Five players headline the Mercyhurst University men’s hockey team’s recruiting class for the 2012-13 season.
Rick Gotkin, who enters his 25th season as coach, has brought in three defensemen – Anthony Mastrodicasa from Woodbridge, Ontario, Mychal Monteith (Toledo, Ohio) and Justin Stevens (Brantford, Ontario). Mastrodicasa (6-foot 1-inch, 195 pounds), a two-time captain with the Vaughan Vipers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, had 25 goals and 85 points in 69 games the past two seasons.
Monteith (5-9, 180) led the Texas Tornado to the North American Hockey League’s Robertson Cup finals this past season. Stevens (5-11, 205) had four goals and 24 points in 43 games with the Pembroke Lumber Kings of the Central Canadian Hockey League in 2011-12.
Gotkin also added forward Kyle Cook (6-4, 215) from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, and Moon Township native Alec Shields (5-9, 180). Cook finished sixth in the NAHL this past season with 70 points (31 goals, 39 assists) in 59 games for the Springfield Jr. Blues. Shields had five points in eight games for the NAHL’s Traverse City North Stars before a torn tendon in his hand ended his season. Cook, whose expected to be ready for the start of the 2012-13 season, had 21 goals and 51 points in 50 games with Traverse City two seasons ago.
Mercyhurst begins the season Oct. 6 with a 7:05 p.m. exhibition game against Wilfrid Laurier, from Waterloo, Ontario, at Mercyhurst Ice Center. The regular season opens Oct. 13 with an Atlantic Hockey Association game at Niagara.

HAVERHILL, Mass. - The College Hockey America coaches have voted who they believe will take the regular0season crown for the 2010-11 season.  Last year’s tournament champion and NCAA Frozen Four Semifinalist, Mercyhurst, which collected 16 points and four first-place votes, is this season’s top choice, as selected by the coaches.

The Lakers prevailed over Syracuse in the CHA Tournament, 3-1, to garner their tenth straight conference crown. Mercyhurst defeated Boston University in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Division I Tournament, before falling to Cornell in the national semifinals, 3- 2 in overtime, in Minneapolis, Minn.

Syracuse, last year’s tournament runner-up has been chosen second by the coaches.  The Orange earned the last first-place vote and totaled 13 points.  Following Syracuse is Niagara, which collected 10 points, followed by Robert Morris (7 points) and Wayne State (4 points).

Exhibition contests kick off the start of the CHA season on Saturday as Wilfrid Laurier travels to Erie to face Mercyhurst at 2 p.m, while Wayne State makes the trek to Toronto to face York at 7 p.m.  The regular season will start the following weekend with all five institutions in action in non-conference matches.  Mercyhurst will host St. Cloud State, while Niagara will take on Quinnipiac.

Robert Morris faces Providence, as Wayne State will drop the puck against Bemidji State.  All four of those series will be a two-game series.  Syracuse will play a single game on Oct. 1, as the Orange will host Northeastern.

The 2011 Tournament will take place in Syracuse, N.Y. at Tennity Rink with the first round taking place on March 4.  The semifinals will be the next night on March 5, with the championship game o March 6.

- From CHA news release

2010-11 College Hockey America Preseason Coach’s Poll

(First Place votes)

1.                        Mercyhurst (4)                        16

2.                        Syracuse (1)                        13

3.                        Niagara                        10

4.                        Robert Morris                        7

5.                        Wayne State                        4